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IPFA/PEI 32nd International Workshop on Surveillance and Screening of Blood-borne Pathogens

Dear attendees, sponsors, and contributors…

The organising committee warmly thanks you for being part of the IPFA/PEI 32nd International Workshop. Your engagement, expertise, and willingness to share knowledge are what truly shape this event. Year after year, this workshop continues to bring together a dedicated community committed to advancing the safety of blood products and strengthening collaboration across the field. Together, we keep the conversation moving forward.

Dr. Leni von Bonsdorff
IPFA Executive Director

Organised and Supported by:

Event partner(s):

Grifols sponsor events IPFA, the International Plasma and Fractionation Association
Roche, sponsor of IPFA Events, International Plasma and Fractionation Association
Abbott Diagnostics sponsor IPFA Events, the International Plasma and Fractionation Association

Registration

The registration fee includes full attendance to the Workshop, coffee breaks and lunch on both days and access to the on-line proceedings after the event.

Participants from low-income economies or lower-middle-income economies can benefit from a discounted registration fee. You can find the list of eligible countries on the website of the World Bank here

Student fee: Individuals must present proof of fulltime enrolment at a recognized university/institute at both the time of registration and during the Workshop dates. During the registration process, the applicant must upload a letter signed by the head of the relevant university/institute department and stamped with the university/institute official stamp.

Hotel

We have reserved a room block at the Hotel Ercilla de Bilbao, Autograph Collection hotel. Located just 15 minutes walking distance through the old town of Bilbao to the congress venue, Euskalduna.

Rooms are offered at 225.00 Euros per night, based on a Single room including breakfast. Make sure to book in time!

Book hotel accommodation
Registration Fees Early fee
Until 19 March 		 Regular fee
20 March – 7 May		 Late fee
From 8 May 
IPFA Members € 560 € 610 € 660
Non-members € 865 € 915 € 965
Low/Lower-Middle Income Countries € 250 € 300 € 350
Student* € 150 € 200 € 250
Workshop dinner 20 May € 85 € 85 € 85

All deadlines mentioned end at 23:59 hours, CEST. 

 

 

Corporate Partners

Why Sponsor and Attend?

As a valued corporate sponsor, your support is vital to the success of this event.
In return, you’ll benefit from:
• High-impact visibility among 200+ international experts
• Networking opportunities with leaders from blood services, regulatory bodies, plasma fractionators, and device manufacturers
• Engaging discussions in a fully on-site format designed for interaction and collaboration
• A prestigious platform to showcase your commitment to transfusion safety

The venue, the Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall, will provide an ideal setting for both formal sessions and informal exchanges during breaks and social events. We invite you to explore our sponsorship opportunities, designed to highlight your company’s role in advancing global health. If you have any questions or ideas, we’d love to hear from you. For more information, please reach out to us at Workshop@ipfa-events.nl

Let’s make the IPFA/PEI Workshop in Bilbao another unforgettable chapter in our shared journey. We look forward to welcoming you!

Thank you to our sponsors!

 

Abbott

BioQControl

Grifols

Roche

 

The IPFA/PEI Workshop in Bilbao is marked as Compliant

Event partner(s):

Grifols sponsor events IPFA, the International Plasma and Fractionation Association
Roche, sponsor of IPFA Events, International Plasma and Fractionation Association
Abbott Diagnostics sponsor IPFA Events, the International Plasma and Fractionation Association

Programme / Proceedings

Wednesday 20 May

09:00 - 10:15 Session 1: Welcome & Introduction
Leni von Bonsdorff & Johannes Blümel
09:45 - 10:05
Coffee Break
10:05 - 11:05 Session 2: Keynote and guest lecture
Johannes Blümel and Mike Busch
11:05 - 11:25
Break
11:25 - 12:40 Session 3: Evolution in Donor Testing
Mike Busch, Lennart Justen
12:40 - 13:40
Lunch Break
13:40 - 15:10 Session 4: Arboviruses
Brian Custer
15:10 - 15:40
Coffee Break
15:40 - 16:55 Session 5: Update session
Hans Zaaijer
16:55 - 17:05 Session 6: IPFA Award
With the annual IPFA award, IPFA wants to recognise a person who has made exceptional contributions to the field of plasma collection, plasma fractionation, the manufacturing and provision of plasma derived medicinal products, patient care, safety and transfusion medicine. This year, the award went to Sophie Le Cam: https://ipfa.nl/dr-sophie-le-cam-receives-the-2026-ipfa-award/

Thursday 21 May

09:00 - 10:00 Session 7: Manufacturer's Session
Bob Perry
  • 09:00 - 09:15 Grifols - Driving Screening Efficiency with Multiplex Nucleic Acid Testing - Jeff Linnen, Ph.D. Vice President, NAT Assay Development. Grifols Diagnostic Solutions Inc.
  • 09:15 - 09:30 Roche - The new dimension in donor screening - Paula Saa, Global Medical Affairs Lead, Donor Screening, Roche Blood Safety Solutions
  • 09:30 - 09:45 BioQControl - Assay-specific control reagents and statistics for effective performance monitoring of blood safety testing - Sven Kerst, Scientific & Regulatory Affairs Manager
  • 09:45 - 10:00 Abbott - Discovering a scientific breakthrough designed to redefine donor screening - Ramune Sepetiene, M.D., Director Medical & Scientific Affairs
10:00 - 10:30
Coffee Break
10:30 - 11:45 Session 8: Update – Part 2
Pierre Tiberghien
11:45 - 13:00
Lunch Break
13:00 - 14:10 Session 9: IgG in plasma: present and future
Marion Lanteri
14:10 - 14:40
Break
14:40 - 16:00 Session 10
Future EID Surveillance and Response - Panel Discussion
Mike Busch (Vitalant, USA) & Christian Erikstrup (Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark)
  • Prepare for the Panel discussion with these questions
  • Speakers:
  • Brian Custer, Vitalant
  • Steven J. Drews, Canadian Blood Services
  • Sheila Keating, Grifols, USA
  • Marion Lanteri, CTS
  • Antoine Lewin, Héma-Québec
  • Piya Rajendra, University of Oxford
  • Alton Russell, McGill University, Canada
  • Silvia Sauleda, Banc de Sang i Teixits, Barcelona
16:00 - 17:00
  • Closing words and farewell reception

Contact

Venue

The Workshop will take place at the Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall. The venue is located in the heart of Bilbao, walking distance from the city centre and all hotels. The venue is also closely located to the airport.

4, Abandoibarra Av.
48011, Bilbao
Spain
https://www.euskaldunabilbao.com/en/

 


Travel

Bilbao is in a privileged location, just over an hour from France and several medium and large Spanish cities by car. It is also well connected by sea and air. The iconic airport is twenty minutes from the city centre by public transport. It is connected to all major Spanish and European cities, including the main European hubs.